As the technology supporting digital Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”), or Internet-based telephony, continues to increase, VoIP communication has become a viable alternative to standard telephone services. Furthermore, there is a demand to combine the use of wireless Internet networks, such as a Wireless Local Area Network (“WLAN”), with VoIP communication in order to provide wireless VoIP communication. While wireless Internet has expanded to provide data communications between wireless devices, the introduction of wireless VoIP requires seamless transmission of voice communications between wireless Internet networks. Thus, wireless VoIP may provide a user of a VoIP-enabled device, or Mobile Unit (“MU”), to make and receive calls over a wireless network while the user is within the range of an Access Point (“AP”) of a WLAN. However, as a user moves from one AP to another, problems may arise in maintaining the integrity of the wireless voice communications within the IP network.
In any wireless communications, the term roaming may be used to describe the extension of service to a MU in motion from one AP to another AP. When a wireless user roams within a covered region during a call session, a network switch may transfer, or handoff, the MU between APs. A handoff may occur if the MU moves out of range of a current AP and can receive a stronger signal from a neighboring AP. In addition, a handoff may occur if the current AP has reached a servicing capacity and the neighboring AP is available for service. However, as a MU is handed-off from one AP to the next, portions of the digitized voice data may be lost during the transition.